Shown in FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional record player, based on which a conventional art is to be explained hereinafter.
A conventional record player has a manipulation part 1 for selecting keys necessary to listen to a piece of music, a microprocessor 2, a memory part 3, a loading mechanism part 4 and a circuit part 5. A reproduction unit (now shown in FIG. 1) such as an optical head, a magnetic head, or a record player needle detects information stored on the disc.
The microprocessor 2 controls while power is turned on, overall operation of the record player, such as processing key signals received from the manipulation part 1, controlling record loading driving the reproduction unit in response to the processed signals, and controlling the number of revolutions of a disc etc. The microprocessor 2 also detects the positions of the piece of music of which reproduction was interrupted and the position of the reproduction unit at the time of turn-off when power is turn-off during operation of the record player, and transmits the information.
The memory part 3 has memory elements 3a such as non-volatille memory elements or memory elements using back-up power, connected to the microprocessor 2, for storing position information from the reproduction unit and piece number of the music at the time of interruption of reproduction sensed by the microprocessor 2 when power is turned-off.
The loading mechanism part 4 has a disc sensing switch SW1, a turntable (not shown) and the reproduction unit (not shown). The loading mechanism part 4 receives driving signals from the microprocessor 2 and rotates a disc in response to the driving signals to reproduce the piece of music recorded on the disc.
The circuit part 5 is connected to the microprocessor 2 and loading mechanism part 4, respectively and applies power thereon.
The conventional record player having the foregoing circuit can reproduce pieces of music recorded on a record disc by sending power to the record disc player, thus loading a record disc on the loading mechanism part 4, turning on the disc sensing switch SW1, rotating the record disc, and operating of the reproduction unit.
In this instant, the microprocessor 2 defects the position of the reproduction unit relative to the piece of music reproduced from a record disc and transmits the detected positions to the memory pad 3. The memory part 3 stores the information about the positions of the pieces of music reproduced and the reproduction unit in the memory elements 3a thereof.
The circuit part 5 applies power to the microprocessor 2 and the loading mechanism part 4, serving the device process Input signals and generating sound.
The operation of the record player shown in FIG. 1 will now be described. When a user cuts off power during operation of the record player, the microprocessor 2 senses it, and transmits information on the position of the piece number of the music and the position of the reproduction unit at the time of interruption of reproduction. The memory part 3 stores the Information on the position of the piece number of music and the position of the reproduction into the memory elements 3a.
When the user subsequently turns on the record player to listen to the music, the microprocessor read the information on the positions of the piece of music and the reproduction unit at the time of interruption of record reproduction, stored in the memory part 3 at memory element 3a. The loading mechanism part 4 then starts to reproduce the piece of music from the position where reproduction was interrupted.
That is, reproduction of the piece of music can be started reproduction from the position where reproduction has been interrupted at re-starting of the record player by having the microprocessor 2 detect the position of the reproduction unit and piece number of the music at the time of turning-off of the record player and storing information on the detected position of the reproduction unit and piece number of the music into the memory part 3.
Thus, upon turning-on again after turning-off, a conventional record player starts to reproduce either from the first piece of music of the pieces of music recorded on the disc loaded in the record player, or, as has been explained, from the part of the piece of music interrupted at the time of turn off.
Therefore, a user who listens to music for short intervals, repeatedly, especially a user of a reproduction device in an automobile may experience inconveniences that the user listens to either pieces of music recorded on the front pad of the disc frequently, or from the middle of the piece of music having been reproduced at the time of turn-off, of the many piece of recorded music.
The user may also experience inconveniences of manipulating the keys In the manipulating part, again to change tracks listen to the pieces of music either recorded on the later part of the disc or interrupted at the time of turn-off from the beginning.